Cherice's Page
I have lived most of my life in "the Land of Oz" (i.e., Kansas), and although I never acquired ruby red slippers, I did see some real tornadoes and still contend, as Dorothy did, that there is truly "no place like home." After leaving Kansas, I moved to the breathtakingly beautiful state of Michigan (where I learned a number of useful things in my Ph.D. program, including how to use my hand as a map). I now live in Utah, which is famous for having the best snow on earth (although I can't personally verify that fact since I haven't been skiing yet).
Currently, I coordinate the Spanish Teaching Major Program at Brigham Young University and teach methods courses for preservice teachers. I also teach graduate courses in technology, assessment, and literacy for the Second Language Acquisition in Teaching Program, the M.A. in Spanish Pedagogy Program, and the Dual Language Immersion Certificate Program.
One thing that you should know about me is that I love playing with concepts, juxtaposing ideas, seeking connection, and thinking about layers of meaning and perspective. I also enjoy bird-watching, cooking, dancing, hiking, reading, photography, science, technology, travel, and just about anything else that is creative.
Some of the key ideas that have significantly influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning include cognitive flexibility theory, creativity, design-based pedagogies, distributed cognition, flow theory, non-linearity, transliteracy, visual cognition, and the nature of compelling experiences.
Aside from K-16 teaching, most of the key experiences that have significantly influenced my philosophies of teaching and learning have revolved around opportunities to work on professional projects that engaged me in a variety of tasks, such as: crafting professional development, designing curriculum, developing state standards, editing professional journals and websites, facilitating professional development, mentoring teacher-leaders, planning conferences, supporting technology use, and working on a variety of research projects. Aside from my work with the NFLRC, my most recently impactful projects have been initiatives that have engaged me in collaborating with others around issues related to dual language immersion, STARTALK, and teacher preparation.
Cherice